Surgical holster

ABSTRACT

A reusable surgical device which is suitable for carrying elongated surgical instruments having a backing plate which supports a plurality of detachable receptacle members contained on the backing plate in fixed engagement. The device is made of a transparent thermoplastic which is electrically insulating, nonflammable, and which can be sterilized at temperatures above 300° F.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention in general relates to a device for holdinginstruments and more specifically for surgical instruments used with alaparoscope when carrying out Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS).

Currently in Minimal Invasive Surgery the operatory utilizes a surgicaltable on which instruments such as laparoscopic scissors, laparoscopicgraspers, laparoscopic hemeclip applicators, and the like are generallyplaced and made ready for use at the appropriate time when called uponto be used during a laparoscopic procedure. Generally, an attendingnurse usually hands a particular instrument to the surgeon performingthe operation at the request of the surgeon. When a new instrument isrequired, the nurse receives the instrument being used from the surgeon,and hands him the next requested instrument. Because of the currentlyexisting conventional procedures, injuries to patients have occurred dueto the fact that surgical instruments have been placed on or adjacentthe patient following use, due to lack of ordered procedures, and/or theinconvenience of conventional protocol. For example, current carryinginstruments such as lasers and cauteries have caused fires in theoperatory due to the instruments coming in contact with a flammablematerial such as a drape. In addition, the placement of the instrumenttable in the operatory is usually to the back of the surgeon whoseattention is being directed to a patient, and therefore the surgeon mustrepeatedly turn while conducting a given procedure and is not aware ofthe location of the instruments except upon request to the attendingnurse.

In view of the conventional techniques and protocols currently used inoperating rooms during laparoscopic procedures, injuries have occurreddue to the lack of order in accounting for the location of the surgicalinstruments being used in these procedure. In addition, manpower in theform of at least one attending nurse is required for the task of handingthe particular instrument to the surgeon during a given procedure.

In the area of MIS there has long been a need for a system and/or devicewhich accurately and reliably positions the various instruments used fora given surgical procedure, and allows the surgeon to accurately accountfor each instrument used during the procedure.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for areusable surgical holster which stores and presents instruments used ina surgical procedure in a ready position and in an ordered manner toprovide the surgeon with a convenient portable workstation whichsecurely holds and accounts for each tool or instrumentor used in agiven surgical procedure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for an inexpensive, reusable surgicalholster designed to hold the necessary instruments and tools used with alaparoscope when carrying out Minimal Invasive surgery (MIS).

The device comprises a backing support plate which contains a pluralityof elongated tubular compartments arranged side by side substantiallyparallel to each other. The compartments are of standard length toaccommodate instruments used in minimal invasive surgery, and areremovably attached to the backing plate in fixed engagement when thedevice is in use.

The holster is preferably made of a durable transparent plastic materialwhich is electrically insulating, non-flammable, impervious to lasers,and which can be easily cleaned and sterilized at temperatures above350° F. for indefinite further reuse. The holster optionally containsattachment means such as, for example, straps or clips which enable thedevice to be attached to and/or draped over a stand or table or anyother convenient support means, allowing it to hang down.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the device of FIG. 1, along line2--2.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the top section of the device shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the bottom section of the device shown inFIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, which is a perspective view of thedevice of the present invention, it can be seen that the devicecomprises a backing or support plate which contains a plurality ofelongated tubular receptacles or compartments which are affixed to thesupport plate and arranged side-by-side substantially parallel with eachother. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, thedevice 10 comprises a backing plate 12 which contains a plurality ofupper paired slots 14 suitable for receiving locking means to bedescribed more specifically herein. Backing plate 12 further contains aplurality of bottom slots 16 which in the embodiment illustrated,constitutes one horizontal slot for each corresponding pair of upperslots 14. A plurality of detachable receptacle members 18, designed forfixed engagement to backing plate 12 utilize a pair of upper lockingtabs 24 each of which contain a bevelled surface 26 and a verticallocking surface 28. Receptacle members 18 contain side walls 20integrally connected with a front wall 22 and an enclosed bottom wall 30which seals both side walls 20 and front wall 22. Bottom wall 30 furthercontains, integral therewith, locking tab 32 which extends verticallybelow bottom wall 30. Lower slot 16 in backing plate 14 further containsa recessed section 34 below the bottom edge of slot 16 which has a depthwhich approximately equals the thickness of the tab 32. As shown moreclearly in FIG. 4, the receptacle member generally has a c-shapedconfiguration with one open vertical side wall.

In operation, the receptacle member 18 is designated so that theprotruding top portion defined by tabs 24 is slightly wider than thewidth defined by a given pair of vertical top slots 14, which is moreclearly shown in FIG. 4. In attaching receptacle 18 in fixed engagementto backing plate 12, lower locking tab 32 is first inserted down intolower slot 16. The lower portion of tab 32 locks in place within recess34 and the detachable receptacle member is then pivoted forward intofinal locking engagement by slightly pressing the two tabs 24 togetherand snap fitting both tabs 24 into a pair of upper slots 14. Bevelledsurfaces 26 allow the tabs to slide freely through the sides of slots14, and when passing through the slot thickness lock the receptaclemember in place against the vertical locking surfaces 28 of tab 24. Dueto the expanded tensional force on side walls 20 due to the fact thatthe resilient plastic material is sized slightly wider than the widthsbetween paired slots 14 is of sufficient tension to hold receptacle inplace in conjunction with lower locking tab 32.

When locked in place, (FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6) receptacle member 18, inconjunction with the surface of backing plate 12, defines an enclosedreceptacle having an open top 34 which is suitable for holding andpresenting surgical instruments 42 and 44 in a secure and convenientmanner.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show in greater detail the structure and relationship ofthe top and bottom looking tabs with respect to the slots contained inthe backing plate.

The backing plate and receptacle member are preferably made of a durableplastic material, usually an injection moldable thermoplastic. Aparticularly preferred material comprises a transparent polyetherimideavailable under the trademark Ultem® from General Electric Company. Thismaterial exhibits the required properties for the device of the presentinvention which are that the device electrically insulating, laserimpervious, nonflammable and exhibits high temperature stability (up to380° F.) for sterilization.

Upon completion of a given surgical procedure, the device of the presentinvention may be disassembled by squeezing the two upper tabs togetherand pulling the top of the receptacle away from the backing plate, andthen up, to release the bottom locking tab 32, resulting in the removalof the attachable receptacle member from the backing plate. Thisstructure allows the components of the device to be easily cleaned andlater sterilized for further reuse. If the receptacle members were notdetachable and made integral with the back wall, the device would beextremely difficult to clean and almost impossible to sterilize with anydegree of reliability to allow the device to be reused an indefinitenumber of times. In addition, should any given receptacle member bedamaged or lost, it can simply be replaced with a new receptacle withouthaving to replace or scrap the entire device.

The device of the present invention can be attached to any convenientlocation, such as a mayo stand, within a surgeon's immediate reach. Inone embodiment, straps 38 contained in slots 40 can be used to attachthe device to any convenient support means. Instead of requiring theneed for the surgeon to receive instruments from a scrub nurse, thedevice allows the surgeon to quickly pull out and then returninstruments almost at a glance. The device therefore eliminates the needfor the second nurse usually required in performing laparoscopicsurgery. Furthermore, because the instrument reduces the number ofpeople handling instruments, it lessens the chance of dropping them orprevents or almost entirely eliminates instruments being damaged andtherefore having to be replaced. Through the use of a suitablethermoplastic material the device of the present invention iselectrically insulated, flame retardant and nonconductive. Because thedevice of the present invention securely stores all of the instruments,it also reduces risk of injury to the patient and the operating staff.The instrument is simple to clean due to the detachable receptaclesections, and is suitable for sterilization using either gas or heat,and can be reused indefinitely providing for great economy.

Further advantages are that the surgeon no longer must repeatably reachor twist around to be handed instruments, and the instruments arepresented and viewed by the surgeon in an order manner in that with theplastic being substantially transparent, the instruments are easily seenby the surgeon.

While this invention has been explained with reference to the structuredisclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and thisapplication is intended to cover any modifications and changes as maycome within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:
 1. A reusable surgical device suitable for carrying elongatedsurgical instruments which comprises a backing plate having a pluralityof elongated detachable receptacle members contained on said backingplate in fixed engagement,wherein said backing plate contains aplurality of slots through the thickness of said backing plate andwherein each of said receptacle members contains a plurality of lockingtabs configured to fit into said slots in locking engagement, saidreceptacle members having an opening defined by a pair of substantiallyvertical edges, said receptacle members further having an open top and aclosed bottom, with said vertical edges abutting against the surface ofsaid backing plate, and where said receptacle members and said backingplate together define a plurality of enclosed elongated chambers havingan open top that removably receive surgical instruments.
 2. The deviceof claim 1 in which the backing plate and chamber are made of atransparent, electrical insulating, nonflammable thermoplastic which canbe sterilized at temperatures above 300° F.
 3. The device of claim 2 inwhich the plastic comprises a polyetherimide.